We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. To comply with our privacy policy, we need to request your consent to set cookies on your machine (I agree)(no thanks). However by taking no action and continuing to use this site you accept our privacy policy.

The consequences of unhealthy weight in pre-school children

Unhealthy weight in early life increases children’s risk of physical, psychological and academic problems. Overweight and obese children are more likely to stay overweight into adulthood, which further increases the risk of negative health consequences.

Given the extent of the problems unhealthy weight can cause, interventions to tackle unhealthy weight are essential and can help to prevent and reduce these adverse effects.

Below are a number of (but not all) health issues associated with both childhood overweight3and underweight4:

Overweight and obesity

The short term effects are:

asthma and breathing difficulties;

experiencing bullying which can lead to suffering from social isolation and low self-esteem;

poor academic achievements (children are more likely to miss days of school which can make it hard to catch up academically);